Log structure



July 7, 1931.

H.. B. LAwToN 1,813,455

LOG STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 5l. 1929 Eg l.

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Patented July 7, 1931- i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOWARD n. LAWTON, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN LOG STRUCTURE Application illed August 31, 1929. Serial No. 389,627.

At the present time it is customary to erect such buildings with a plurality of logs laid horizontally one on the other and with theirl 10 ends adjacent to vertical logs; all logs being held in their relative positions by spikes. Owing, however, to the fact that all the logs are rough they do not make tight joints with one another, and gaps occur.. between them which have to be filled with some plastic material. Again the ends of the logs are all cut substantially square across so that their ends form more or less straight lines.

lt is' an Obj ect of this invention to provide a log structure wherein horizontal logs are positively held relative to other logs above.

and below them without the aid of spikes, so

that plastic material, if used at all, need not be relied. u on to render the structure weatherproo and wherein'the ends of the logs are positivel held in position relative to logs substantia ly at right angles to them.

Another object of the invention is to pro-` vide a log structure with the log ends cut in a substantially semi-circular form to tit partially around the other logs at right angles to them, thereby materially increamng the strength of the structure and also giving it a pleasing scolloped appearance.

With these and other objects and'advantages in view which will become apparent as the specification hereinafter more lly described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a` front elevation of a portion of my-improved structure.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 2 2, 3-3, 4 4 and 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail showing the method ofdsecuring horizontal logs to one another,

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Referring the drawings, the lower sills' 1 1 are formed of long logseach having an roceeds, the invention is upwardly directed longitudinal groove Ala therein. Key pieces 2 lie in and project partially outwards from the grooves la. The intermediate horizontal wall logs 3 are each provided with two longitudinal grooves 3a on opposite sidesand substantially semi-circular shaped ends'31. The lower grooves 3a in each log receive the projecting portion of the key piece 2 extending upwardly from the log 3 beneath it, or from the lower sill l; and the key piece 2 extends upwardly from the top log 3 takes into a groove 4a similarly formed longitudinally of a long logfl which forms the f upper sill.

Extending between the lowerand upper sills 1 and 4 are posts 5 and 5a, the former being door posts and the latter intermediate posts betweenthe ends of horizontal Wall logs V3. 'The posts 5 and 5a are provided with substantially semi-circular shaped ends 51 and 51a which fit partially around the lower and upper sills 1 and 4; and the substantially semi-circular ends 31 of the horizontal 'logs 3 partly encircle the posts 5 and 5a.

' The door posts 5 are, along one side, each provided with a longitudinal slot 52, and the intermediate posts 5a are each provided with two such slots 52al on Opposite sides; The

ends of the key pieces 2 preferably extend into these slots 52 and 52a, and between the ends of adjacent key pieces 2 short key members 6 are so inserted into these slots as to extend also into vertical grooves 31a formed across the ends 31 of the horizontal logs 3. By allowing the ends of, the key pieces 2 to extend into the slots 52 and '52a complete weatherproofing is assured between end portions Of adjacent logs which are not absolutely in contact with one another; whereas if the key pieces 2 were shorter and the key members 6 made continuous then cracks would occur between the said pieces and members ly semi-circular ends 51 and 51a of the vertical posts materiall assist in holding the said posts in place on t e lower sills as they form guides for the shaped ends 31 of the horizontal logs 3 as the latter arelowered into position; and the provision of the key pieces 2 and key members 6 and their cooperating grooves and slots insures a weatherproof structure irrespective of whether the adjacent margins of the logs are actually in contact with one another or not. Moreover it is obvious that the combinative' construction of the various parts materially strengthens the structure 10 and renders it much more durable.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown, it is understood that the construction is subject to such further changes as fall Within the appended claim.

I claim: j

In a log structure, a wall arrangement comprising substantially circular logs arranged vertically at intervals to form uprights, other substantially circular logs placed horizontally one upon the other and extending between adjacent pairs of vertical logs, the ends of the horizontal logs being concave transversely across their extremities so that the distance between the two concave ends of each horizontal log at its sides is greater than the distance between the pair of vert-ical logs between Which it extends, the concavities conforming substantiallyl to the curvature of the :m vertical logs and partly encircling the latter so that the horizontal logs are held by their concave extremities against lateral movement relative to said vertical logs, the latter being slotted longitudinally, key pieces lying in the slots and projecting therefrom, the concave ends of the horizontal logs being slotted substantially centrally of their concavities to re` ceive the proj ectmg portions of said key pieces, the horizontal logs being also slotted longitudinally on opposite sides, and other key pieces engaging the adjacent slots formed in adjacent pairs of horizontal logs.

HOWARD B. LAWTON. 

